HOW TO APPLY FOR
FINANCIAL AID
How to Apply for Financial Aid
If you have questions, we are here to help. For questions regarding financial aid eligibility, please contact us at financialaid@sps.cuny.edu or 646.664.8720.
As An Undergraduate Student To apply for federal and NY state aid, you need to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) applications. The applications are free to submit. The following steps will help guide you along the way.
1 Collect Documents
You’ll need the following: • Social Security number • An FSA ID • W-2 forms and other records of money earned • Federal income tax returns (spouse’s tax return is needed for independent students who are married. For dependent students, the parents’ income tax returns are required.) • Current bank statements • Current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond and other investment records • Alien registration card, if you are not a U.S. citizen
2 Get an FSA ID Visit https://fsaid.ed.gov to create an FSA username and password. You’ll need this ID in order to sign your FAFSA electronically.
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Complete the FAFSA
Link to TAP
The FAFSA is the FREE application for federal student assistance. Apply online by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov. For free help in completing your FAFSA, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.
The TAP application is for NY State residents to apply for NY State financial aid. Once you complete your FAFSA online, you will be taken to a confirmation page. Click on the link to apply for NY Statebased financial aid and you’ll be directed to the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website to fill out your TAP application. If you miss the link, you’ll receive an email from HESC after your FAFSA is processed on how to complete your TAP application. Application can be found at www.hesc.ny.gov.
Glossary CUNYfirst: the system you’ll use to register for courses and view your class schedule, financial aid, and tuition liability FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid FSA: Federal Student Aid HESC: Higher Education Services Corporation SAR: Student Aid Report TAP: Tuition Assistance Program
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Receive Student Aid Report
Verify your Data
Receive the Award Notification
The office of Federal Student Aid at the U.S. Department of Education will send you a summary of the FAFSA data you submitted within 24 to 48 hours after you submit your FAFSA. Review it carefully to make sure it’s correct and complete.
A process called “verification” is used to determine the accuracy of the your FAFSA information. If your application needs to be verified, you will have comments on your SAR indicating the actions you need to take. Verification must be completed before any federal financial aid eligibility can be determined.
Once your FAFSA is complete and you demonstrate financial need, you’ll receive an award notice.
Common Errors to Avoid When Completing the FAFSA
• Filing a FAFSA for the wrong academic year. Complete the FAFSA for the academic year in which you plan to enroll. For FAFSA purposes, the new academic year begins in the summer. So, you would complete the 2018 – 2019 FAFSA for the summer 2018, fall 2018, and spring 2019 terms. Please note that students who are admitted in the fall are not eligible for financial aid in the preceding summer term. • Not adding our school code 004765: Since we share our code with the CUNY Graduate School and University Center, you will see its name rather than ours. • Not signing/submitting the application. • Not filing for TAP if you are a NYS resident. • Using the wrong tax information: for 2018-2019, use 2016.
What Happens after you submit the FAFSA? • You will receive an email from ‘Federal Student Aid’ with a link to your SAR. Double check the data on the SAR and make sure it’s accurate. • Review the comments on the first page of the SAR for any flags. • Begin collecting the documentation to resolve the comments. • Our Office of Financial Aid will receive your information approximately 5 business days after you receive the SAR and your CUNYFirst profile has been created. • If you have a loan default flag on your SAR, log into www.nslds.ed.gov to review your financial aid history. If you have a Pell overpayment or a loan in default, you will not be eligible for financial aid.
• If you see a selective service flag on the SAR, be sure that you answered question #21 on the FAFSA. If you have, and you still have the flag, visit www.sss.gov, request a Status Letter, and submit it to our Office of Financial Aid. • If your citizenship status is not confirmed, you will have to bring your original U.S. passport or Certificate of Naturalization to the Office of Financial Aid. A copy will be made at the office and placed in your folder.
What Happens if you are selected for verification? If your application is selected for verification, our Office of Financial Aid will send you a letter requesting that you provide documentation and complete a “Verification Worksheet.” Tax filers will have to submit a Tax Return Transcript that is obtained from the IRS. To order a Tax Return Transcript, go to www.irs.gov and click on Get Your Tax Record, or call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946. If selected for verification, the following will occur: • CUNYFirst will generate a To Do List. • Instructions will be sent to your preferred email address on CUNYFirst. • Complete the verification worksheet included in your To Do List and emails. • Send the worksheet with the required documents to FinancialAid@sps.cuny.edu. • Our Office of Financial Aid will review your documents.
Common Errors to Avoid When Completing the Verification Worksheet
• Calculating the incorrect household size: • Do: include your spouse, children, and other persons for whom you provide more than half of the financial support. • Do Not: include persons living with you for whom you do not provide financial support, such as guardians who are economically self-sufficient. • Duplicating income: on the verification sheet, you have four options when completing the income portion. After the four options, you will see a table on which you can include information on your income. This table is specifically for any income which was not reported on your taxes. • Often, students will mark either the first or second option indicating that they have filed taxes but then proceed to fill in the table. This makes it appear as though the student has two sources of income; one included on the taxes and another that was not. • Forgetting to sign the tax return and form. • Not including your W-2 Form.
The Final Step!
• If you are eligible for Pell or TAP, you will receive an award letter to your preferred email. You may also view the award letter in your CUNYFirst Student Center. • Your award is based on an anticipated enrollment of 12 credits. If you are registered for fewer than 12 credits, please allow 2-3 business days for your award package to be adjusted. • TAP requires that you be enrolled in at least 12 credits applicable to your degree each semester. If you believe that you meet the requirements for TAP, but have not received a TAP award, please contact our Office of Financial Aid. • Once awarded financial aid, you must make satisfactory academic progress as defined by CUNY to maintain your eligibility. Review the criteria at https://sps.cuny.edu/eligibility. • If you are interested in applying for a federal loan, please visit: https://sps.cuny.edu/loan. • While we are working on processing requests, a notation will be placed on your account to prevent your courses from being dropped due to nonpayment. A notation will not be placed on your account if you were selected for verification and have not submitted the requested documentation. Note: this does not guarantee that you will receive aid.
Helpful Tips • Apply for your FAFSA and federal loans early as it may take up to 3 weeks for us to view your information during peak periods. • Request your tax return transcript to reduce delays in case your FAFSA is selected for verification. You can request it by: • Visiting www.irs.gov to request it online • Calling the number on the website to request it over the phone • Visiting your local IRS office and request it in person. • Make sure that your email address in CUNYfirst is current and be sure to check it regularly.
OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID financialaid@sps.cuny.edu phone: 646.664.8720